Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Hit & Run situation
Hello,

Need advice on a Hit & Run ticket my wife received in Santa Clarita. She was starting to move into a lane to make a left turn into a parking lot when she was struck from behind by an SUV.

Based on the damage to the car it appears the SUV was going much faster than the posted 45mph speed limit. The SUV smashed the entire back end, dented the roof, and left radiator fluid over the hood and passenger front fender of her vehicle. The SUV appears to have went over the car and she stated it had ended up in front of her where she originally planned to turn left.

The car she drove was an Oldsmobile 4-door and is now totaled, I'm assuming the same with the SUV, I heard the axel was bent on it. Amazingly no injuries occured to either party. This is a property damage situation.

The problem is my wife left the scene of the accident without exchanging information, traveling a little over a mile before stopping. She called AAA and I talked with AAA over the phone when they arrived and told them she had not exchanged info and they contacted the police (I'm assuming). The elapsed time from the accident to when the police talked with my wife was around an hour or two. The police issued her a hit & run citation.

Asked on 9/08/05, 5:43 am

2 Answers from Attorneys

Richard Wagner Wagner & Zielinski, A Professional Law Corp.

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Re: Hit & Run situation

I am sorry to hear what has happened to your wife and you. There are many issues in a hit and run case. I was a prosecutor in LA and those were my toughest cases to win. Although your wife may not have immediately stopped, she did eventually, which is good for her. I am sure I can work this out for you.

Answered on 9/08/05, 3:54 pm

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